Erika D. Smith: Even if transit bill is derailed in Statehouse, planning will continue

Mar. 23, 2013

Annette Gordon awaits the bus along the US 31 route by Greenwood Park Mall. Wednesday March 13, 2013, More than 334,000 riders a year take IndyGo's Route 31 bus from Greenwood to Downtown. These suburban bus routes could be vastly improved under a 10-year, $1.3 billion plan to improve mass transit in Central Indiana. / (Michelle Pemberton/The Indianapolis Star)

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Itís hard not to get caught up in the drama over transit at the Statehouse.

Thereís Gov. Mike Pence, who is on a Captain-Ahab-like mission to get an income tax cut and is wary of any bill that would raise income taxes. And then there are Senate Democrats who are mounting a selfish tit-for-tat battle with Mayor Greg Ballard over an unrelated bill that would eliminate four at-large seats on the City-County Council.

Itís like a soap opera over there, one where the future of transit in Central Indiana is at stake.

Well, thatís not reality. Not really.

Reality is that planning for a regional system of buses and possibly rail will continue no matter what happens in the Statehouse. Thatís because weíre talking about two separate, yet related efforts. Thereís the legislative process, and then thereís the planning process.

The legislative process involves convincing the Indiana General Assembly and the governor to let voters in Marion and Hamilton counties decide whether to raise their income taxes to pay for a regional system.

The planning process is required by federal law. It was set in motion when the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Council ó composed of 36 local elected officials, including Ballard ó decided that transit should be part of Central Indianaís future.

Transit systems almost always use funds from the Federal Transit Administration. But to get that money, the feds require data. So the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization has been collecting that data, studying potential corridors for buses or rail, figuring out good locations for stops and asking residents what they think.

This wonít stop.

The planning process is why there have been a series of public meetings over the past couple of years. The last round ended last week, and the next round will start in July.

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Weíre up to the part in the process where residents can start commenting on what mode of transit they like most, bus or rail, and where they want to see stops installed. That is the kind of detail that makes transit real for people because they can envision it in their neighborhoods. It also is the kind of detail that legislators considering the transit bill want to know now, even though the data isnít there yet.

So far, though, the planners have turned up some interesting trends.

Here are a few takeaways based on feedback from the almost 400 residents who attended nine public meetings in Marion and Hamilton counties in the past two months:

ē Bus stigma? What bus stigma?

For years, many people have talked about plans to expand transit in Central Indiana in terms of rail. Mostly rail from the suburbs in Hamilton County to Downtown Indianapolis.

Well, it turns out that many people donít want rail. On the routes that would run along Washington Street, between Carmel and Greenwood, and from Fishers into Downtown Indy, the support for bus rapid transit is strong. Itís cheaper than light rail, and itís more flexible.

Expanding regular bus service also is a must for most people, both in Hamilton and Marion counties.

ē Speed versus stops.

When asked what they would rather have, a transit line that will get people from Point A to Point B faster, or a line that runs slower but has more stops, most people went for the middle ground.

What that means is, at least for the Green Line planned between Fishers and Indianapolis, many people would be fine with a commute that takes slightly longer than driving if there are enough stops.

ē Itís all about the destinations.

The Palladium and the Arts and Design District in Carmel. Greenwood Mall, Fashion Mall. Fountain Square. Time and time again, residents said they want rapid transit lines that go to these places. Most people also said they want stations that are in convenient locations.

Again, these are takeaways from a small group of residents. More public meetings are planned and more input collected before any major decisions are made.

In the meantime, the drama will continue at the Statehouse.

Even if the bill fails this spring, Ehren Bingaman, executive director of the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority, noted that the bill died last year, but more people are now supporting it than ever.

"I guess I should be concerned about momentum,Ē he said, ďbut I'm not."

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